METHOD FOR DISPENSING A HOT BEVERAGE

Abstract

A method for the dispensing of a hot beverage in a beverage vending machine, comprising a hot water generating system for the generation of hot water and a brewing chamber, wherein the brewing chamber is filled with brewing material for brewing a hot beverage, and following this, is loaded with hot water via a hot water inlet, and after the brewing process, the hot beverage is delivered from the brewing chamber into a vessel via a hot beverage outlet and a drain line connected therewith, wherein the hot beverage outlet can be loaded with compressed gas from a compressed gas source during a brewing process. Also includes a device for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing a hot beverage in a beverage machine which comprises a hot water generator for producing hot water and a brewing chamber, wherein the brewing chamber is filled with brewing material for brewing a hot beverage, and is subsequently supplied with hot water via a hot water inlet, and after the brewing operation the hot drink is discharged from the brewing chamber into a vessel via a hot drink outlet and a drain line connected thereto, wherein the hot beverage outlet can be supplied with compressed gas from a compressed gas source during a brewing operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the duration and intensity of the pressurization of the brewing chamber with the compressed gas from the compressed gas source are adjustable.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressed gas can be introduced into the brewing chamber with an adjustable delay after the start of the brewing process.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the brewing chamber is subjected to compressed gas from the compressed gas source or from another compressed gas source, for emptying the same after a brewing operation via the hot water inlet.

5. A device for dispensing a hot beverage in a beverage machine, comprising a hot water generator for generating hot water and a brewing chamber which comprises a hot water inlet which can be flow-connected to the hot water generator for supplying hot water, and a hot drink outlet which is arranged on the underside of the brewing chamber and is intended for dispensing a hot drink brewed in the brewing chamber, the hot water inlet being connectable in terms of flow to the hot water generator via at least one inlet valve, and the hot drink outlet being connectable via at least one outlet-side valve to a discharge line for dispensing the hot drink into a vessel, wherein the hot beverage outlet can be supplied with compressed gas from a compressed gas source during a brewing operation via a branch line and a switchable further outlet-side valve.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the compressed gas source comprises an electrical pump for conveying compressed air.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the compressed gas source comprises a compressed gas container.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the compressed gas provided by the compressed gas source is an inert gas.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the hot beverage outlet is connected to the drain line via a flexible, deformable hose, and in that the at least one outlet-side valve is a pinch valve, by means of which the hose can be compressed to close it.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one outlet-side valve is a 3/2-way valve.

11. The device according to claim 5, wherein the switchable further outlet-side valve comprises at least one valve selected from the group consisting of: a switch valve, a chain valve, and a 3/2-way valve, via which the compressed air source can be connected to the hot drink outlet via the branch line.

12. The device according to claim 11, further comprising: a non-return valve is disposed in the branch line downstream from the compressed gas source, wherein the non-return valve protects the compressed gas source against ingress of brewing material.

13. The device according to claim 5, further comprising: a compressed gas source is provided, which is connected via an electrically switchable shut-off valve to the hot water inlet of the brewing chamber and via a spring loaded, non-return valve to the branch line non-return valve, wherein the branch line comprises a flexibly, deformable hose, and in that the switchable further outlet-side valve is a pinch valve, by means of which the flexible, deformable hose can be compressed to close it.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings on the basis of a preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0023] In the drawings:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the disclosure, which comprises two compressed gas sources;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of another embodiment of the device according to the disclosure, which comprises only one compressed gas source;

[0026] FIG. 2a shows a schematic representation of another embodiment of the disclosure, in which, instead of a chain valve utilized in FIG. 2, a spring-loaded non-return valve is employed;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in which the shut-off valve is replaced by a non-return valve;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, in which, instead of a chain valve, a 3/2-way valve in combination with a non-return valve is employed;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a device 1 for the dispensing of a hot beverage comprises a hot water generating system 2 for the generation of hot water having a temperature of, e.g., 80° C. to 100° C., and a brewing chamber 4. The brewing chamber has a hot water inlet 5 that can be fluidically connected to the hot water generating system 2 for the supply of hot water, as well as a hot beverage outlet 8 arranged on the bottom of the brewing chamber 4; the hot beverage brewed in the brewing chamber 4 can be dispensed from the outlet via a drain line 9.

[0030] Inside the brewing chamber 4 is found a brewing filter 7, which prevents the large particles of brewing material 6, e.g., coffee powders, from entering into the hot beverage outlet 8 and beyond this into the drain line 9 during the brewing process. As is shown in FIG. 1, for the embodiment of the disclosure shown therein, the hot water inlet 5 is fluidically connected to the hot water generating system 2 via a T-shaped connection piece 17 and a first electrically switchable valve 11 on the inlet side. The hot beverage outlet 8, in contrast to this, is connected to the drain line 9 for the dispensing of the freshly brewed hot beverage into a vessel 40 via a Y-shaped connection piece 19 and a first electrically switchable pinch valve 13 on the outlet side. By means of a line 10 which branches off via the Y-shaped connection piece 19 and springs from the latter, the hot beverage outlet 8 is connected to a compressed gas source 20 via an intermediately connected second electrically switchable shut-off valve 14 on the outlet side, this valve 14 being connected in the same way as are also the rest of the valves 11, 12 and 13 to an electronic control device 30, which controls them.

[0031] In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in addition, the device 1 for the dispensing of a hot beverage comprises a second compressed gas source 21, which is connected to the T-shaped connection piece 17 by way of a second electrically switchable valve 12 on the inlet side, and can be utilized for the purpose of loading the brewing chamber 4 with compressed gas via the hot water inlet 5 toward the end of the brewing process.

[0032] Alternatively to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in which two compressed air sources 20, 21 are used, the electrically switchable shut-off valve 14 employed therein, as shown in FIG. 3, can be replaced by a non-return valve 16 arranged in the flow direction of the compressed gas from the compressed gas source 20, non-return or check valve 16 preventing a back flooding of the compressed gas source and, moreover, in an advantageous manner, it does not need to be actuated electrically.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the device 1 according to the disclosure for the dispensing of a hot beverage, which is characterized in that one and the same compressed gas source 20 can be used for the purpose of loading the brewing chamber 4 with compressed gas both on the inlet side as well as on the outlet side. For this purpose, the compressed gas source 20 can be connected to the hot beverage outlet 8 of the brewing chamber 4 via an electrically switchable first shut-off valve 15a during the brewing process by way of a compressed air line 10a, the first electrically switchable pinch valve 13 on the outlet side and the Y-shaped connection piece 19 on the outlet side. In this case, the press piece (not shown in more detail) of the pinch valve 13, which can travel back and forth by means of the electronic control device 30 shuts off the elastically deformable drain line 9 by pressing it together to an extent such that no compressed air can escape via the drain line 9, so that the air is pressed through the brewing filter 7 in the form of rising air bubbles into the brewing chamber 4 when the compressed air source 20 is activated and the first shut-off valve 15a is opened.

[0034] In order expel the freshly brewed hot beverage from the brewing chamber 4 after a brewing process, the first shut-off valve 15a is closed and a second shut-off valve 15b that can be actuated by the electronic control device 30 is opened, this latter valve preferably being disposed together with the first blockable shut-off valve 15a in a chain valve, or a chain of valves 15. The compressed air is introduced into the brewing chamber 4 in this case with a closed first valve 11 on the inlet side, i.e., with a closed-off hot water supply from the hot water generating system 2, by way of the T-shaped connection piece 17 and the hot water inlet 5 connecting thereto, so that the brewing chamber is loaded with a pressure of, e.g., 1 bar via the compressed air source 20. Simultaneously or a short time later, the pinch valve 13 is actuated and the connection line 10a is shut off by pressing together the elastically deformable tubing segment belonging thereto of the connection line 10a and freeing up the drain line 9, whereupon the freshly brewed hot beverage can flow through the brewing filter 7 into the vessel 40 by way of the hot beverage outlet 8 and the drain line 9.

[0035] In order to clean the brewing chamber 4 following the dispensing of the hot beverage and to discard the used brewing material, the second shut-off valve 15b can be closed, the drain line 9 can be opened by means of the pinch valve 13, and, via the first valve 11, hot water can be introduced into the brewing chamber 4, said hot water removing any residues of the hot beverage that adhere to the brewing chamber 4.

[0036] Alternatively to the described embodiment comprising a chain valve 15, this mode of operation can also be realized by a standard, closed 3/2 way valve that is disposed in the direction of flow of the compressed gas from the compressed gas source 20. In this embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 4, the line 10a is also closed by means of a non-return valve 16, which is preferably spring-loaded, in order to prevent the possibility of pressing the brewing material into the compressed gas source 20.

[0037] In order to still further reduce the device cost, in addition, it can be provided, instead of the first shut-off valve 15a, to insert a spring-loaded non-return valve 16 into the line 10a, and to connect this line directly to the one compressed gas source 20, as this is shown in FIG. 2a.

[0038] The single compressed gas source 20 in this case is connected to the hot water inlet 5 via a single shut-off valve 15b, and to the line 10a via the spring-loaded non-return valve 16; this line 10a can be shut off by the pinch valve 13 when, in conclusion to a brewing process, the hot beverage is expelled from the brewing chamber 4 by the compressed gas from the compressed gas source 20 via the drain line 9 after opening the single shut-off valve 15b.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0039] 1 Device according to the disclosure [0040] 2 Hot water generating system [0041] 4 Brewing chamber [0042] 5 Hot water inlet of the brewing chamber [0043] 6 Brewing material [0044] 7 Brewing filter [0045] 8 Hot beverage outlet of the brewing chamber [0046] 9 Drain line [0047] 10 Line between compressed gas source and Y-shaped connection piece [0048] 10a Line between compressed gas source and Y-shaped connection piece [0049] 11 First electrically switchable valve on the inlet side [0050] 12 Second electrically switchable valve on the inlet side [0051] 13 First electrically switchable pinch valve on the outlet side [0052] 14 Second electrically switchable valve on the outlet side [0053] 15 Electrically switchable chain valve [0054] 15a Electrically switchable first shut-off valve of the chain valve [0055] 15b Electrically switchable second shut-off valve of the chain valve [0056] 16 Non-return or check valve [0057] 17 T-shaped connection piece [0058] 18 Electrically switchable 3/2-way valve [0059] 19 Y-shaped connection piece [0060] 20 First compressed gas source [0061] 21 Second compressed gas source [0062] 30 Electronic control device [0063] 40 Vessel